Rise Stevens dies: 'Carmen' mezzo-soprano was 99

Rise Stevens, a woman best known for performing in New York's Metropolitan Opera, has died. She was 99.

Of all her roles, Stevens was beloved for being the lead in "Carmen" in the 1940s and 1950s. The mezzo-soprano performed at the Met for 23 years during her career. She became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1990.

The singer retired in 1961, and then spent three years directing the Met's travling company. She appeared in movies like 1941's "The Chocolate Soldier" and 1944's "Going My Way." Stevens' son Nicolas Surovy confirmed her death to The New York Times.